Cart

Self-Care Challenge (Day 182): Buying New Exercise Clothes

On day 182 of my 366-day self-care challenge, I decided it was time to buy some new exercise clothes. As I’ve become more consistent with my fitness routine, I’ve been washing my gym clothes more often – and science tells me that means they’ll need to be replaced more often.

(Great excuse to shop, right?)

But, seriously, wear and tear was just one of the reasons.

Adding a few new ensembles to my rotation was also somewhat of a reward for the hard work I’ve putting in to achieve my fitness goals. As silly as it sounds, having new clothes makes the idea of exercise sound more fun. Besides, it’s a much healthier reward than chocolate cake (as tasty as that may very well be).

Giving ourselves a boost in motivation can take many forms, and it turns out that there’s some research to back it up. The term “enclothed cognition” was coined by researchers to describe the psychological processes that occur when we wear certain clothes. And some believe this premise can also be applied to athletic clothing: when we wear clothing designed for physical activity, we tend to be more active.

If buying new clothes isn’t in your budget, though, consider visiting a consignment boutique or swapping outfits with a friend. The important thing is to keep goal-related activities fun and exciting.

How do you reward yourself when you make progress toward your goals.

Want to read all 366 days of this challenge in a convenient eBook?

Ready to design a self-care practice that you love?

Stacy Fisher-Gunn

I’m the founder of Living Upp, a self-care planning and design company that teaches individuals and organizations how live up to their fullest potential using a unique 8-dimensional self-care system that I developed. I’m an author, speaker, and self-care designer with 18+ years of experience in the healthcare industry as a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.